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Help with Huggers/Modifications??

OK, Newbie hammocker here.
I have the HH Deluxe Explorer. It comes with 42" Huggers. If a tree is less than that in diameter, but not enough to wrap the huggers around twice, do you still use the huggers and tie off even if the ends are 10" from the tree trunk?
Conversely, if they only go 3/4 of the way around the tree, do you still use huggers and loop your knot around and between the rope and the tree trunk now?

has anyone used Mil-spec sewn tubular runners or webbing instead of stock huggers? My thought is that with a 72" piece of webbing or runner, I could quickly tie a water knot and use a 'biner to tie my hammock rope into.
Any other thoughts on this.
I see you folks are a pretty creative group and I am not that comfortable with the sewn loops on the ends of my OEM huggers...
Thanks
Rick

Hey Rick it is nice to see a fellow PAer here. I think that the HH expolerer stock tree huggers and overkill unless you are close to the weight capacity. They use seatbelt material and they weigh quit a bit. Wrapping it 2x around the tree is fine and also coming up short and using the spectra to bridge the difference is fine too. I have seen where and webbing box stitch came undone on someone on this site, but if you put enough box stiches and backtacks on it I think it will hold anything. I have tubular webbing, but I prefer the webbing from Speer because it is lighter and at a good price. Some people find tie down straps cheaply and use the webbing from them.

I’ve used the 1 inch metal slider from www.onrope1.com ($1.50 plus shipping) to form a loop in my 1 inch polyester webbing and haven’t had any trouble with it holding. I do thread it through and then back again on itself as a safety factor though. It’s much easier than sewing a loop and adjustable too.

As you'll see there's lots of options for suspension and attachments, thats part of the fun.

Yep! I like knots and lashings (sometimes), but once you use one of the easy set-up options out there (rings, buckles and the like) it's awfully hard to get excited about tree huggers. Way too much of a PITA for me now that I've gotten spoiled.

Yep! I like knots and lashings (sometimes), but once you use one of the easy set-up options out there (rings, buckles and the like) it's awfully hard to get excited about tree huggers. Way too much of a PITA for me now that I've gotten spoiled.

Iíve used the 1 inch metal slider from www.onrope1.com ($1.50 plus shipping) to form a loop in my 1 inch polyester webbing and havenít had any trouble with it holding. I do thread it through and then back again on itself as a safety factor though. Itís much easier than sewing a loop and adjustable too.

Trying to picture your set up. It sounds a little dif from most of the cinch buckles ( same as your "metal slider? )setups around here. Are you saying you put the webbing thru the buckle, around the tree and back thru the buckle?

My buckle to make the loop coming off the tree is a metal slider, not a cinch buckle. I have used it for both the stake hitch (see picture in thread) and with the cinch buckle and ring buckles. It's just forming a loop with a buckle rather than sewing a loop.

OK, Newbie hammocker here.
I have the HH Deluxe Explorer. It comes with 42" Huggers. If a tree is less than that in diameter, but not enough to wrap the huggers around twice, do you still use the huggers and tie off even if the ends are 10" from the tree trunk?
Conversely, if they only go 3/4 of the way around the tree, do you still use huggers and loop your knot around and between the rope and the tree trunk now?

Yes on both counts. I've hung a lot of times on the same set of huggers without any problems. If you want to change to make something easier, go for it. I wouldn't worry about the huggers giving way, though, as long as they're undamaged, and they seem to be tough buggers.

the 1" camo polyester webbing from www.owfinc.com is rated to 2000#, and is very light and low stretch.

if you can't sew loops, a local seamstress could do it in about 5 mins, probably for very cheap.

if you order the webbing from www.strapworks.com you can have them sew the loops for you for less than 5$ extra, but they only have 3500# polyester webbing which is almost twice as heavy.

i would go with sewn loops for 2 reasons. sewn loops are stronger than knots, and it is much less bulky. if you wrap the tree and thread one loop through the other, a sewn loop is easier to pass through and take out than a big fat knot.

go with polyester though. nylon sucks b/c of stretch and polypro is weak for it's weight. 1" polypro (heavy weight) is only rated to 800#. sounds like alot, but i think slowhike broke some. bet he had sewn loops too, knotted would break even easier. remember, forces involved are much higher than actual bodyweight due to the angles involved with a hang.